South Carolina’s Employment Situation - April 2010

Released: May 21, 2010

South Carolina’s Unemployment Rate Continues to Decline

South Carolina’s unemployment rate declined for the third straight month to 11.6 % in April,
the South Carolina Department of Employment and Workforce reported today. This was down
significantly from the March rate of 12.2%. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics,
South Carolina’s labor force (employed + unemployed persons) declined 6,272 in April to
2,167,544. The drop in the labor force was attributed to a sharp decline in the number of
unemployed as fewer people lost their jobs in April and fewer people entered the labor force to
look for jobs. The drop in the unemployed estimate (-14,648) was partially offset by a modest
increase in total employment.

The national jobless rate increased two-tenths of a percent in April to 9.9%.

A separate establishment-based survey showed the number of non-farm jobs increasing by

13,000 in April, with increases in most major industry divisions. Seasonal gains, mostly
tourist-related, were recorded in Retail Trade (+1,800), Leisure and Hospitality (+8,800), and
Professional and Business Services (+3,400). Government posted a gain of 1,900, and
Manufacturing registered a slight gain of 500 jobs. Declines were measured in construction
jobs (-2,800) over the month, as well as in Educational and Health Services (-600).

General John Finan, Executive Director of the newly formed Department of Employment and
Workforce said, “We are encouraged by this positive news and remain focused on putting
South Carolinians back to work.”

S. C.S.Department
C. Employment Security Commission
of Employment and WorkforceRoosevelt T. Finan,
John L. Halley,Interim
Executive DirectorDirector
Executive

P. O. Box 995, Columbia, South Carolina 29202 (803) 737-2617

737 -2617
 WAGE AND SALARY EMPLOYMENT
April -2010

April March April Net Change From

Industry 2010 2010 2009 Month Year
Ago Ago
Total Nonag. Employment 1,822,900 1,809,900 1,832,800 13,000 -9,900
Natural Resources and Mining 4,600 4,300 4,100 300 500
Construction 77,800 80,600 89,700 -2,800 -11,900
Manufacturing 207,700 207,200 216,500 500 -8,800
Trade, Transportation and Utilities 346,000 344,700 348,800 1,300 -2,800
Information 27,500 27,800 27,700 -300 -200
Financial Activities 101,100 101,300 101,600 -200 -500
Professional and Business Services 211,400 208,000 199,000 3,400 12,400
Educational and Health Services 209,900 210,500 207,800 -600 2,100
Leisure and Hospitality 207,500 198,700 213,600 8,800 -6,100
Government 359,800 357,900 354,200 1,900 5,600

UNEMPLOYMENT RATES RANKED BY COUNTY

Unemployment Rate

April March
Rank 2010 2010 Change
1 Marlboro 19.5 21.5 -2.0
2 Marion 18.9 20.6 -1.7
3 Allendale 18.7 20.5 -1.8
4 Chester 18.3 19.9 -1.6
5 Union 17.7 19.1 -1.4
6 Barnwell 16.2 18.0 -1.8
Lancaster 16.2 18.0 -1.8
8 Bamberg 15.8 16.1 -0.3
York 15.8 16.3 -0.5
10 Chesterfield 15.5 17.4 -1.9
11 Dillon 14.9 16.0 -1.1
12 McCormick 14.8 17.0 -2.2
13 Cherokee 14.1 15.7 -1.6
14 Clarendon 13.8 15.4 -1.6
15 Orangeburg 13.7 15.3 -1.6
16 Williamsburg 13.5 15.4 -1.9
17 Hampton 13.1 14.8 -1.7
18 Lee 13.0 14.2 -1.2
19 Abbeville 12.6 14.6 -2.0
20 Colleton 12.2 13.6 -1.4
Fairfield 12.2 12.9 -0.7
22 Sumter 11.6 12.9 -1.3
23 Darlington 11.4 13.0 -1.6
24 Georgetown 11.3 13.0 -1.7
25 Greenwood 11.2 12.8 -1.6
26 Oconee 11.1 13.0 -1.9
27 Horry 10.9 13.2 -2.3
28 Spartanburg 10.8 12.2 -1.4
29 Anderson 10.7 12.3 -1.6
30 Florence 10.5 11.8 -1.3
31 Newberry 10.3 11.5 -1.2
32 Laurens 10.2 11.4 -1.2
33 Calhoun 10.1 11.5 -1.4
34 Kershaw 9.5 10.6 -1.1
35 Edgefield 9.4 9.8 -0.4
Pickens 9.4 10.2 -0.8
37 Berkeley 9.1 10.3 -1.2
38 Greenville 9.0 10.2 -1.2
39 Richland 8.6 9.8 -1.2
40 Dorchester 8.5 9.6 -1.1
41 Jasper 8.3 9.7 -1.4
42 Aiken 8.2 8.7 -0.5
Charleston 8.2 9.4 -1.2
44 Saluda 8.1 10.1 -2.0
45 Lexington 7.4 8.4 -1.0
46 Beaufort 7.3 8.8 -1.5
 LABOR FORCE AND UNEMPLOYMENT BY LABOR MARKET AREA
April-10
LABOR FORCE UNEMPLOYMENT % OF LABOR FORCE
April March April April March April April March April
AREA: 2010 2010 2009 2010 2010 2009 2010 2010 2009

ABBEVILLE 10,956 11,102 11,585 1,379 1,621 1,614 12.6 14.6 13.9
AIKEN 76,735 76,576 78,358 6,300 6,661 7,225 8.2 8.7 9.2
ALLENDALE 3,316 3,343 3,454 621 686 695 18.7 20.5 20.1
ANDERSON MSA 83,717 84,969 86,654 8,980 10,476 9,993 10.7 12.3 11.5
BAMBERG 6,462 6,409 6,492 1,018 1,030 942 15.8 16.1 14.5

BARNWELL 9,207 9,303 9,170 1,490 1,672 1,416 16.2 18.0 15.4
BEAUFORT 65,255 65,461 63,986 4,780 5,745 5,349 7.3 8.8 8.4
BERKELEY 80,895 80,450 81,574 7,366 8,255 7,996 9.1 10.3 9.8
CALHOUN 6,763 6,823 6,854 683 785 738 10.1 11.5 10.8
CHARLESTON 176,251 175,379 175,947 14,368 16,433 13,954 8.2 9.4 7.9

CHEROKEE 25,215 25,403 26,289 3,551 3,997 4,229 14.1 15.7 16.1
CHESTER 15,390 15,513 16,180 2,811 3,087 3,229 18.3 19.9 20.0
CHESTERFIELD 18,958 19,144 19,301 2,934 3,326 3,155 15.5 17.4 16.3
CLARENDON 12,711 12,815 13,110 1,750 1,972 1,995 13.8 15.4 15.2
COLLETON 17,359 17,396 17,336 2,114 2,366 2,193 12.2 13.6 12.6

DARLINGTON 31,326 31,504 31,910 3,579 4,084 3,999 11.4 13.0 12.5
DILLON 14,102 14,137 14,212 2,095 2,260 2,111 14.9 16.0 14.9
DORCHESTER 64,234 63,825 64,903 5,446 6,104 6,075 8.5 9.6 9.4
EDGEFIELD 11,239 11,215 11,431 1,051 1,102 1,142 9.4 9.8 10.0
FAIRFIELD 11,089 11,102 11,300 1,352 1,432 1,504 12.2 12.9 13.3

FLORENCE 63,632 63,815 64,308 6,700 7,552 7,039 10.5 11.8 10.9
GEORGETOWN 31,157 31,149 30,948 3,519 4,055 3,388 11.3 13.0 10.9
GREENVILLE 219,919 221,670 224,269 19,760 22,662 21,278 9.0 10.2 9.5
GREENWOOD 30,972 31,160 32,034 3,460 3,973 3,969 11.2 12.8 12.4
HAMPTON 7,885 7,934 8,098 1,036 1,177 1,188 13.1 14.8 14.7

HORRY/MYR BCH MSA 132,733 129,808 132,364 14,507 17,144 14,570 10.9 13.2 11.0
JASPER 10,322 10,352 10,172 857 1,006 994 8.3 9.7 9.8
KERSHAW 29,904 30,053 30,479 2,843 3,178 3,254 9.5 10.6 10.7
LANCASTER 30,329 30,633 31,189 4,909 5,519 5,488 16.2 18.0 17.6
LAURENS 32,087 32,360 32,860 3,261 3,700 3,626 10.2 11.4 11.0

LEE 8,354 8,396 8,743 1,084 1,195 1,285 13.0 14.2 14.7
LEXINGTON 132,544 133,192 133,701 9,761 11,252 10,173 7.4 8.4 7.6
MARION 13,067 13,117 13,428 2,466 2,705 2,687 18.9 20.6 20.0
MARLBORO 12,119 12,352 12,678 2,369 2,658 2,510 19.5 21.5 19.8
McCORMICK 3,394 3,447 3,521 501 586 551 14.8 17.0 15.6

NEWBERRY 18,092 18,181 18,711 1,858 2,088 2,063 10.3 11.5 11.0
OCONEE 30,991 31,334 31,812 3,438 4,064 4,214 11.1 13.0 13.2
ORANGEBURG 41,069 41,319 42,432 5,639 6,310 5,822 13.7 15.3 13.7
PICKENS 57,053 57,214 58,089 5,354 5,812 5,658 9.4 10.2 9.7
RICHLAND 180,353 181,620 181,333 15,439 17,838 15,418 8.6 9.8 8.5
SALUDA 8,890 9,029 9,042 719 914 822 8.1 10.1 9.1

SPARTANBURG MSA 134,014 134,504 137,415 14,488 16,423 15,931 10.8 12.2 11.6
SUMTER MSA 43,156 43,693 45,762 5,001 5,623 5,636 11.6 12.9 12.3
UNION 11,948 12,018 12,511 2,109 2,298 2,432 17.7 19.1 19.4
WILLIAMSBURG 15,884 15,985 16,137 2,140 2,459 2,238 13.5 15.4 13.9
YORK 114,245 113,443 112,473 18,102 18,531 15,310 15.8 16.3 13.6

Multi County MSAs

CHAS MSA 321,379 319,653 322,424 27,180 30,791 28,025 8.5 9.6 8.7
COLA MSA 369,543 371,819 372,710 30,798 35,399 31,909 8.3 9.5 8.6
FLORENCE MSA 94,958 95,319 96,218 10,279 11,636 11,038 10.8 12.2 11.5
GRNV MSA 309,060 311,244 315,218 28,375 32,174 30,562 9.2 10.3 9.7

South Carolina* 2,167.5 2,173.8 2,185.7 250.4 265.0 251.2 11.6 12.2 11.5

* Seasonally Adjusted